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ISince we are docked at the downtown pier, we decided to go out into town for a while. Beside us is docked NCL Breakaway. Out in the bay, offshore, is the NCL Escape. She is tendering her peeps ashore with lifeboats. Glad I’m not on Escape ! We walked down to the Plaza and decided to have a couple of beers and some chips and pico de gallo. This was the first alcohol that either of us have had the entire cruise ! The cold Coronas tasted pretty good. More about this, later. At some point, Dan mentioned something about maybe getting a cheap massage. Oh yeah....that sounded like a GREAT idea. After finishing our beers and chips, we asked our waiter if there was anywhere close where we could get a massage. It seemed we were in luck ! No more than 20 paces down the side street was a spa. The decision was made. If the price was right, we were getting massages. Trust me, this is no foo foo spa. It’s a hole-in-the-wall place but the price seemed right. $70 each for a 90 minute massage. Done. They put us in a “room” for 2. I put “room” in quotations because it is really just 1 big room with curtains to separate the “private” areas. Good enough for us. I will just say up front that this was one of the best massages I have ever had. Most masseuses hurt me. I guess I’m just a wimp but the whole “deep tissue” thing is about as far from enjoyable as I can get. But this lovely lady’s touch was perfect. You start out on your belly, of course, and I was really settling in...enjoying every stroke. She did my back, neck and shoulders. Heaven. Then she moved to my legs....and trouble began to brew. Here’s where the forewarning from the beer and chips photo comes back into play. As if, by some awesome force of nature and gravity combined, the moment she started pushing “up” (towards my torso) on my legs, the beer bubbles began to be pushed up from my belly. Had I been standing, I would simply let out a diminutive “burp” and all would have been fine....but I was laying on my stomach and those beer bubbles were trapped between my stomach and my throat. I tried to maneuver in a way that would allow them to escape, but nopesville. They just kept accumulating in a most unpleasant location, soon to be joined by some chips and salsa (thank you, hiatal hyneria). It was both horrifying and hilarious at the same time. I thought the legwork would never end. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she whispered “turn over on your back, please”. As soon as I moved, the loudest, most manly, horrific belch came roaring out. It was so loud I’m sure they heard it across the street. Dan said “are you ok ?” I was so relieved. I just muttered “yes, I’m fine”. The moral of this story is NEVER drink a beer before having a massage !

However, on a positive note, we just got back from seeing Phoenix, and I cannot say enough GOOD things about that show. They were really good. I would go back and see them again in a minute. I am not as impressed with the Music Hall on Oasis as I was with the one on Anthem, but they did the best they could with the space they had. It’s a sight more useful now than it was as Dazzles. Also, a huge bit of news, Dan and I finally met the Twangbot. He seemed very real. Almost human-like. A very advanced bot, indeed. He sat with us at the concert. It was quite an honor for us.😁😍

Sail away was timed perfectly with the Costa Rica sunset. Lots of small boats out tonight. The flight of the Pelicans.

Royal nailed everything here. The sets and costumes were great. All of the actors and actresses did a good job. Singing and dancing was excellent. It appears to be updated and modern. As for condensing from the original, I know musicals are supposed to be about music and have songs but this entire show was song after song. There really was no in between the songs points which could have helped someone unfamiliar with the musical figure out what is going on. (Spoiler alert: a cat dies.) I had to Google it to make sure I wasn't missing something. I followed The Gift on Anthem better than this. I'd like to think that's on Andrew Lloyd Webber and not Royal though.

When the Panama Canal announced the project to expand the Panama Canal for larger ships it created a new trend in shipping. The neo or Post-Panamax standard was developed for super sized ships that couldn't fit through the original Panama Canal. The original Panama Canal can only handle ships built to the Panamax standard. When the new Panama Canal expansion project was announced ports around the Northern hemisphere all realized they needed to expand and grow to accommodate the new super sized cargo, container and tanker ships that would be looking for ports to drop their goods. This spawned a race among larger ports to be ready for the Post-Panamax vessels for if they didn't they would be forgotten and ignored by the shipping industry. This includes the Port of Miami who had to deal with their relatively narrow and shallow channel and harbor that ships use to reach the port docks. https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Navigation-Projects/Miami-Harbor-Deepening/ The work to make the Port of Miami ready was completed in 2015 just nine months before the new Panama Canal locks opened for Post-Panamax vessel traffic. Had the Port not deepend the channel and harbor Oasis class ships would not be able to visit or home port in the Port of Miami. And so it is not inaccurate to say that we can all enjoy Oasis class ships home porting in the Port of Miami and the beautiful new Crown of Miami terminal because of the Panama Canal and specifically the neo-Panamax shipping standard that spawned from its recent expansion.

So I debated starting this, but I'm sitting in my hotel room in Miami, it's 10:45pm and I can't sleep. Why?? BECAUSE TOMORROW IS CRUISE DAY!!!! And here we go...I will try to keep this going as I'm spending the next 7 nights on Oasis of the Seas for my 2nd Thanksgiving in a row at sea. I managed to snag surf & stream VOOM for $11.99/day which I thought was reasonable enough, so I will be connected on the ship. Sprint also has cell service at the ports (Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas) which is included in my cell phone plan, so I won't be forced to disconnect at all. That means I can talk about, read about, and write about cruise stuff while I'm doing cruise stuff!!! Last year I spent Thanksgiving on Symphony of the Seas (which also left from Miami) as part of the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise. It was my first group cruise and I got to meet so many awesome folks from the different social media channels involved with the group. I also spent that cruise in a category A1 room (Spacious 2-BR AquaTheater Suite with Large Balcony) which was absolutely my favorite cabin I've ever been in. Symphony was also my first Oasis class ship. It was Star Class and then combined with it also being the group cruise I felt like every single moment of that cruise was scheduled for me. This time around I feel like I'm slumming it in an oceanview balcony room. But I paid a pretty awesome price for it as a solo cruiser as they weren't charging the solo supplement. I originally had a CP double balcony room (cabin numbers ending in 229 and 629) but the price dropped so much after final payment (we're talking as low as $650 all-in solo with Diamond discount and FL resident discount) that the oceanview balconies ended up being cheaper than I had paid. My terrific MEI travel agent said they wouldn't give me any money back but she got me moved into an oceanview balcony at no extra cost, cabin 8594. So that means I'm by myself in the room, I get double points, and I get to make my own schedule, right? WRONG...my mother decided to invite herself along. Of course she's also after the extra points, so she went and booked her own cabin so I will have a little bit of space and solo-ness still.

Drat. Now there are at least two that are better than me.

At the muster drill. Dan took our cards and had them scanned while I saved us 2 seats looking out over the Centrum.

That's totally a napkin dispenser charging my phone while I BBQ it up.

At least it didn’t come out the other end.........not that I know from personal experience or anything.......cough.........😳

Swung back by the room and noticed I now have a roommate. I better still get double points for this cruise, though. Good thing I have the ability to control the TV with my phone since he's a total remote hog.

Hmm..so where did I leave off last night...last thing I remember was robots taking jobs away from service workers RIP Champagne Bar. At least at this bar you don't have to feel shamed for not tipping in cash on top of the 18% gratuity for your drink? Service is pretty slow anyways. At that point it was pushing 9:30 and I was at the point where if I wasn't actively doing something I was going to fall asleep sitting up. The only options then were passive activities (watching music). The first night promenade balloon drop at midnight is always fun, but I knew I wouldn't make it that long without a nap. I went back to the cabin intending to take a nap so I could go watch the balloon drop. Spoiler alert: I didn't end up seeing the balloon drop.

Annnnd my mom's motto for Star Class 😂😂😂

I am on a cruiseship and it has been three and a half hours since I last ate. That means it's time for bedtime sushi! This seems like a much, much better option than the Cafe Promenade and Sorrentos that everyone is else stuck with. This was a brilliant idea and 1am Ashley very much thanks 6pm Ashley for looking out for her.

Standard balcony room set up. Couch by the balcony. Couch looks and feels like it wasn't replaced. However the carpet is actually very clean, new and plush feeling under my toesies. (No photos of that, creepers).

If you knew her brother it explains a lot.

Win for the little guy..hibachi covered!

Gliding into St. Thomas right on schedule.

Pictures don't do it justice. I've taken a series of video clips that I plan to stitch together that will hopefully capture the day. Until I get that video put together here is a clip that should give you a better idea of what it's like to move between the lock chambers, how close the ship is to the walls of the lock and an up close look at the locomotives.

As many people here know, I am a teacher and my cruising schedule is pretty much dictated by the school calendar. My contract with board does not allow time off for vacations other than those designated times over the holidays. Hubby's schedule is 100% flexible but that doesn't help as I am the planner and mine is not. Because of this, we unfortunately fall into the category that @twangster mentioned, we pay a premium to cruise because we can only go during the high season. My strategy is to book early. We take at least two cruises each year. One over the summer, and one over March Break. I book these two as soon as itineraries get released (often that is almost two years out). From that point, I watch prices and often re-price multiple times before we pay final payment at 90 days out. We have saved thousands this way. I usually book direct with Royal (because I know exactly what I am looking for) and then I transfer to an agent for further savings. Because we can only take a limited amount of cruises each year, we do splurge a bit when we cruise. We like our suites and the benefits that come with it. The mentality that, "We can take this money and take more cruises," does not apply too much to us because we cannot take more even if we tried. So that makes us unapologetic suite snobs. Last but not least, this is the home of "YOLO Book It!" so we have totally run with that motto over the last few years! 😉

Well done and you've saved me from having to do one. However I am serious when I say... get off my ship! We are all waiting to board!

Mail call! Umm..ok nice little envelope with nothing useful. Recognize my status! Now we are talking.. And the exclusive offers I have earned my letting my mother take me on cruises..

Video of it working! Smooth, smooth. Number of times I have tried to tap my room number circle on the door with my WOW band to enter before this: 2. Number of drinks I have consumed: 0. 20191124_1337151.mp4

Here are the unknown not Royal ships still in port around 6:30pm. And here comes Oasis. We watched her get closer and closer and then turn around and go back the other way to dock at Crown of Miami Terminal A where she currently sits tall enough I can still see her.

Well Good Moring From The Port Of Miami. Well Now It Is Sadly The End To This Great Cruise. It Took Me Just 10 Minutes To Get To The Car From The Ship. With That It Is Time To Head Back Home To Orlando. Here Is On Last Shot Of The Navigator. Well That Is It For This Blog. I Hope You Enjoyed It. If You Have Any Qestion Please Let Know.

This is a recap, and not a highly detailed live blog. If you have questions, please let me know in the replies October 31 & November 1 — Pre-Embarkation We flew from our home near Nashville to Miami on a late flight and were one of the last arrivals of the day. This presented a problem with getting a ride share to take us to the Mercury Hotel in South Beach as it is quite a distance. One Uber and two Lyft drivers bailed on us. While annoying, it is understandable. We ended up taking a taxi and ran into construction traffic on I-95 delaying our arrival. We entered our hotel room at about 12:30 am. We stayed at a quirky Art Deco hotel a block west of Ocean Drive near 1st Street. for brunch, we at at a Popular Cuban restaurant called Puerto Sagua. I highly recommend it. It was an easy walk to Collins and 7th where it is located. After brunch, we walked along the shoreline to the southernmost ended of South Beach and watched Navigator sail away. You can see a time lapse on my Instagram at: I got my dunkel bier fix for dinner at the Bavaria Bier Haus in Bayside Marketplace right on the water by the marina next to Port Miami. See the first attached pic for an incredible sunset effect by the surrounding skyscrapers. November 2 — Embarkation We had breakfast at a local eatery called Big Pink, checked out and took a Lyft to Port Miami. MacArthur Causeway was closed and traffic was being routed to the Venetian Causeway and to I-195 to the north. Our Lyft driver was astute and chose the latter. While I missed driving opposite cruise ship row that morning, our driver did a great job with the circumstance. When we made it to Dodge Island, we dealt with the effects of getting to Terminal A caused by the construction of the Norwegian terminal next door. Soon, were we curbside at the terminal and entering the building. A couple of months ago, I cancelled the Key due to reviews. I didn’t realize that the icon was still on my SeaPass in the app, and when I showed it, we were ushered into the Key line and found ourselves bypassing waiting guests and were on board immediately it took five minutes when I realized what happened, that somehow we still had the Key, I chose not to take advantage of the other perks it offered for the duration of the cruise. We ate lunch at El Loco Fresh, and were set up for the rest of the day our CP balcony room was ready right at 1:00 pm, and we were unpacked by 1:30 pm my wife had a manicure in the spa scheduled for 1:45, so I did the slides on board starting with the Ultimate Abyss. We chose My Time dining, during sail away. We watched Hairspray in the theater that evening. The cast was incredible. November 3rd & 4th — Sea Days 2 & 3 Readers of these boards will have varying styles of cruising on sea days. I love sea days because of the relaxation available. Hi lites: -we purchased a thermal suite package and started using it — very nice, however, the weight room in the fitness center is above the spa, so there are related sounds and bangs -we ate dinner at Chops on Day 2. It was execellent -Day 3 was the same with dinner at Izumi Hibachi — it was fun as always November 5th — Day 4 — Sint Maarten We chose to make this an easy beach day and took the water taxis from the port to the middle of Philipsburg for $7 round trip. We got off the water taxi after a five minute ride into the middle of the town. We turned right, headed toward the Lazy Lizard and rented two beach chairs and an umbrella for $20. It included a bucket of six beers or two cocktails. Lunch was extra for about $13 a plate. I had the curry chicken with voodoo shrimp appetizer. It was...BY FAR...the best meal I have had on a cruise vacation anywhere. We chose the Lazy Lizard because of reviews on Trip Advisor. Photos attached. That evening, we watched 1977 in Studio B. The drones and the skating did not disappoint. November 6th — Day 5 – San Juan, PR I have been dying to get to this port for a while. We did the standard walk up the hill to Castillo del Morro and walked around absorbing some of the history of the magnificent place. We chose not to go to the other fort, and instead walked down the hill on the west side and and toured Casa Blanca where Ponca de Leon lived. The grounds were beautiful and the house was incredible considering how people of that time lived. We ate at the famous Barrachina restaurant near Cristo Street. I tried the mofongo combination with chicken, beef and shrimp along with a piña colada. It’s a little touristy, so it won’t be my choice for my next visit to San Juan. We did some shopping and headed back to the ship for a thermal suite session. We watched Hiro in the Aqua Theater and were mesmerized. Flowing Hiro, dinner was at Wonderland, an experience Royal Caribbean cruisers should experience once in a lifetime. November 7th — Day 6 — Sea Day - we lazed around and ended the evening watching Flight in the Main Theater November 8th — Day 7 — Perfect Day at Coco Cay Seas were as smooth as a glass before sunrise. It was a beautiful and surreal experience walking onto deck 15 to see a Carival ship lit up as she passed by our starboard. A little later, a Norwegian ship sailed across our wake. They looked close enough to touch and were beautifully lit up.Sadly, I was dealing with condensation on my camera lenses, and didn’t have time to get a really cool photo. -we found loungers behind the swim up bar on Coco Cay and lazed around until lunch at the Snack Shack where we had the popular crispy chicken sandwich with fried mozzarella and marinara. It is a big step up from the standard fare from the old Coco Cay. The transformation of the island is mind blowing. November 6th — Disembarkation -I booked a late flight out of FLL, so we took our time getting off the ship -we had breakfast in the main dining room and left the ship by 9:00 am -we took a cab from the terminal to Miami Brightline on NW 1st in downtown Miami for $15. We bought Select tickets which gave us lounge access in the very nice, new train station - the ride from Miami was about 30 minutes and included beverages and snacks served by an attendant in our carriage. The train experience on this line is as a good as any I have had in Europe. It was excellent. I was sad to have to get off in Fort Lauderdale. -tickets may be pre-purchased online or at the station — the process is pretty seamless -FLL is 3.5 miles from the Fort Lauderdale Brightline station, so a quick ride share will get you to/from the station and airport -overall —> this short experience far surpassed dealing with a cab or ride share up I-95 — if you are flying out of FLL on a later flight, or if you are coming from a location near a Brightline station elsewhere in Florida, Orlando (future station planned) for example...THIS is how I would get to Port Miami, or Port Everglades — it is well worth it, especially considering the net cost was about the same as a cab would have been and a little higher than a ride share. I will be figuring other ways to use this service while in Florida in the future — included are pics of the Fort Lauderdale Brightline Terminal and the inside of a carriage

This is not my mistake - but let's go with not having a general packing list for the basics needed on the cruise. My DH was a little irked that I wanted to review the basic clothes that we had packed for one cruise....so I just let it go. Come to find out that he completely forgot to pack any underwear - none, nada, zilch. All he had was what he wore to travel. Did I mention that this was a 15 day Panama Canal cruise? It made for a memorable cruise. We were sailing with his parents and to this day we have never told them what happened. That cruise was in 2006. Needless to say, underwear is the first thing we both pack and we try not to burst out laughing when we do so.

I need to mention that for Floridians, "cold" is anything less than a 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quick buzz of the Windjammer.. They had a turkey 😂😂 Beef Wellington and Prime Rib Ham Ribs and salmon Seafood They ran out of stuffing and I thought there was going to be a riot. Poor chef said it was coming but he couldn't tell the irate gentleman when. And yes, still had Indian food.

Well I have been missing in action a bit this week, but now catching up with the blog. From Saturday through monday, I completely disconnected for the first 2 sea days and had my phone in airplane mode. Yesterday, we were ported in Port canaveral so I had phone access even though we stayed on the ship. Today, I am using my free day of diamond surf for 2 devices. We will likely use my husband's credit tomorrow and purchase surf and stream for the duration of the cruse. Today, we port in Nassau. We will likely stay on the ship again today, but we will get off tomorrow in Cococay. I will post some photos soon, but here are some thoughts thus far: I really like anthem. Our cabin is a balcony cabin on the 13th floor and we are right by the forward elevators. The last 2 days have been gorgeous, and I enjoyed time both afternoon's at the north star bar! We love 270. We watched a movie there yesterday afternoon. I had the Kummelwick on day 1. From a flavor standpoint, I liked it better than on other shifts, we have just liked the roll it was served on better on other ships. We used our free dining certificate from the travel agent to eat at wonderland on night 2. We very much enjoyed the experience, and let our waiter choose the apps for us. For the main entree, we split the pork belly and the fish. Both were great. For all the other nights, we have eaten in my time dining. Since this itinerary has so many sea days, and we have stayed on the ship for 2 of the port days, I am really glad I purchased the beverage package, despite being diamond. It has given us more freedom, and I have also tried more drinks and shots and have been fine leaving them if I did not like them. ( I don't really love overly sweet drinks). I love the vintages on this ship. They have my favorite Cava that is usually served at the beginning of the chefs table. Being thanksgiving week, there are lots of families on board this week so the seaplex is super crowded. I have not felt crowds throughout the rest of the ship, but I think we are often doing things at different times than the crowds. The diamond lounge has extended into the music hall for happy hour. Last night was a little annoying because there were many children that were allowed to roam free and were out of control at the pool tables or were throwing tantrums. Since we have a drink package, we usually just visit the diamond lounge for a few snacks, but on sunday, It was the best place for my husband to watch the football game. Tomorrow's game should be nice enough weather to watch poolside Our favorite things so far: We will rock you ( we did the matinee show on day 2) We will rock you singers performing in schooner bar last night ( It was Joyce from the piano bar's last night of her contract, so a special show) Still to come: Excited for Cococay tomorrow on Thanksgiving Spectra show at 270 later this week

Never trust the app. They say places to eat are closed and they aren't. Izumi sushi for lunch. Poke bowl, no rice. Champagne lobster roll The app also let me do this... I can make reservations in the app for multiple specialty restaurant visits within the same day. I had previously been told one reservation per day and other venues drop in only as space permits.

The Brightline was a great idea. It’s a simple Uber ride up from the airport and once you walk inside the station you instantly notice you are not in Amtrak country anymore. Access is controlled to the terminal by scanners. The select lounge is also gate controlled. We noticed on several occasions people trying to “tailgate” in with other people walking in There was ample seating along both sides of the window. Wifi was also available for free in the terminal and was plenty fsst When we first arrived they were between more substantial snack times. There were fruit,chips, and Clif LUNA bars available. About halfway through our stay they brought our Charcuterie which was quite good. a few minutes before our departure an announcement was made, we Went down to the track and were welcomed aboard the front car seats in the select car are in a 2-1 configuration. Some of the seats are setup around tables, but just know that if you are looking to sit across from someone it means one of you will be riding backwards. After we departed Fort Lauderdale we were greeted by a very friendly car attendant named Kae who was available to make mixed drinks, sodas, and also had snacks When we arrived at the Miami station we were greeted by a beautiful new station right in the middle of downtown, claimed our luggage, and were on our way.

CHOPS GRILLE +1 Offer

Not me! But then again, I never iron anything lol...

THE KEY Welcome Lunch

Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise. It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss. i will start from the beginning. Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises. We got to the port around 10:00 am. By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15. We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports. They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture. The whole process took about 5 minutes. We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30. At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am. I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room. That took about 5 minutes. I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship. It is HUGE! Well laid out and easy to navigate though. Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30. Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship. Our group met at Chops Steakhouse. The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy. We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon. We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic. We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together. Sea Day- Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's. Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation. We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter. Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition. The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking. The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful. We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well. We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc. The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship. I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!

You're lucky i'm not in charge, i would ban smoking indoors (to include the casino) and make the only place for smoking, in the aft (designated section) upper decks. If you get caught smoking in a non-authorized location, you would be dropped off at the next port. I'm surprised that Royal Caribbean hasn't been sued yet, by an employee that has been diagnosed with cancer from second hand smoke due to improper ventilation in the casinos.

I have never actually flown on the day after Thanksgiving before. It's definitely not for the faint of heart for those who dislike crowded places. Plus there was all the winter weather causing issues for many people flying back. So it was an absolute mess. TSA Precheck definitely saved the day here. Boarded on time. Then sat at the gate because they were having a circuit board issue. Always reassuring to hear before taking a flight. Then finally 40 minutes late we pushed back and were informed we were 10th in line for takeoff but some of the planes ahead of were being affected by the weather so we had to wait for them to decide where they were going to end up going. Runway blues... ...coastal views.

Riddle me this.... What possible purpose could a “stopper” be on a bidet ? That little “stick thing” in the back is a stopper plunger (not sure what the proper plumbarian term is). Maybe I’ve been using it wrong all this time ! Why would you ever need to fill that bowl up with water ?

Watching my college football team lose badly is made better with using my BOGO Diamond offer.

Tuesday - Nov 19th - Aruba We started the day with a simple continental breakfast. I really just wanted to save us the trip of having to go out and get coffee. I ordered hubby his usual oatmeal and I had a muffin. This was one of our longest days in port and we took full advantage of it. I booked a tour with Trikes Aruba and we absolutely loved it. We were picked up at the port with another couple from the ship, we drove to a hotel to pick up a small group and we all headed over to pick up the Trikes. Once there, payments were taken, waivers were signed, we were given a simple demo, test drive and we hit the road. You do not need a motorcycle license to drive them. We drove all over the island, and it was so much fun. I can’t wait to watch my Go Pro videos. We went to the lighthouse, drank straight out of coconuts and once finished they sliced it in half so you could eat the fresh coconut. There was a pretty cool bird hanging out there as well. The next stop was the Church which was peaceful as there weren’t many people there. After that we went to the Casibari Rock Formation. We were given more time here to climb up the rock, have lunch if you wanted and shop. We opted to climb the rock. The last stop wasn’t really much but it makes a nice picture, it was in front of the Aruba sign. It was cool to drive all over the island and see the different landscapes, from the cactus plants to the beach, to the local housing areas as well as the tourist spots. Our tour guide was a really nice guy, told us some stories and a little bit about each stop. If you are looking for a full blown historical tour, this isn’t it. It was perfect for us though. After the tour was over I asked our driver if he recommended a certain taxi or had a friend that could take us to Surfside Beach. He offered to take us there himself however we didn’t bring any of our beach stuff with us so we had to go back to the ship. We went to the Windjammer to have a small lunch and each had a salad. It was surprisingly packed for a port day and we were unimpressed. We grabbed a taxi right by the ship and off we went. I’ve been to Eagle Beach once before, and although it’s beautiful, that wasn’t what we were going for this trip. We wanted smaller and local and that’s why I had decided on Surfside Beach. I had also started following 2 of their beach bars on Facebook for some time so the decision was made to hang out at Surfside Beach Bar for the rest of the afternoon. The cost for 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella was $15. There were less than a dozen people there. It was cool watching the planes land, but it wasn’t obnoxious. I think we saw maybe 2 an hour. The water was calm and we could see our ship in the distance the whole time which was kinda cool. Hubby ordered a bucket of beers, I don’t recall the price but he said it was cheap. I only had one drink as I mainly stayed in the calm waters all afternoon. Pre-cruise I had been going back and forth with returning to the ship for dinner or going to a restaurant called Barefoot Aruba which was less than a 5 minute walk on the beach from where we would be. I made a reservation for 6:15 and I’m SO GLAD I did. There was an outdoor shower at the beach bar and we freshened up in the bathrooms which was quite comical. We walked down the beach and were blown away. It was even more beautiful with the sun starting to set. My pictures don’t even do it justice. After asking our waitress if she could take our picture, she not only took them at our table, but had us stand up with the beach behind us and took even more. For appetizers we ordered Goat Cheese Medallions (served on roasted bell peppers, with red onion chutney, served with pine nuts and balsamic syrup), Prosciutto & Melon (served with arugula, pine nuts and a pepper reduction). Hubby also ordered a Greek salad. The goat cheese dish was delicious but the show stopper was the Prosciutto & Melon. I’ve mentioned I’m from NY and I’m used to getting excellent Italian food. This was BY FAR the best prosciutto I’ve ever had in my life & the sauce was to die for. We were honestly shocked, we couldn’t believe how delicious it was. We savored it to the last bite. Hubby ate about half the salad but I didn’t have any. For dinner he ordered the Snapper Amsterdam which had a crust of Old Amsterdam cheese, zucchini, breadcrumbs with a white wine sauce. I had the Caribbean Grouper which was grilled and topped with a mango cream cheese. I ordered the mango sauce on the side and I’m glad I did because I mixed it in with my rice. I didn’t think to take pics but again, it was absolutely amazing. Hubby kept saying good call, good call, I’m so glad you didn’t cancel this reservation. It was hands down one of the best meals we’ve EVER had. We both agreed this would probably ruin the rest of the dinners we were going to have on the cruise, lol. I forgot to mention I drank my usual moscato and hubby had a bourbon drink. Even though we were full we decided to end the evening splitting a classic sorbet which was served with fresh fruit and strawberry syrup. The restaurant arranged for a taxi back that was allowed to go all the way down near the ship. We grabbed a night cap at the R bar and headed to bed. The heck with Coco Cay, THIS was the perfect day 😍

They just walked down the aisle in Music Hall.

So after struggling to open that balcony door I finally un-toddlered it at the top and opened the door. Apparently Im on the hump which has a bit deeper balcony than my last Harmony oceanview. And my neighbors are inviting me to party...that's their balcony since the divider is open. I will follow up if they are nice or if I need to remind the steward to close the divider..maybe.

And another officer says it's something new that it is no longer included with the package but they must not have updated the site. But end result for us is reservations made. Next battle shall come when we try to pay when dining. Round 1 for the little guys!

INTERNATIONAL FLAGS PARADE

I’m celebrating two birthdays on this cruise. My grandma who passed away last year would have been 100 yesterday (November 15th). The celebration last night was for her. My birthday is on the 23rd which I am celebrating on the 22nd, the last night of the cruise. It’s funny how the cruise starts on her birthday and ends on mine. Speaking of bots, I was seated two tables away from the famous “bot” on this forum, but I only saw him with a few side glances. I know it’s not good to stare at people... 😂 There were clues that it was him. First, he was dining alone. (Hmmm... solo cruiser). Second, his waiter said, “Oh, good to see you back” (Hmmm... frequent cruiser) Then I saw what he was browsing on his phone - THIS FORUM! (Aha!!! It’s him!!!) Dear Mr Bot, I must have looked “stalkerish” to you huh? 😂

CRUISING TIP: “Ironing” clothes with Hair Iron It works!!!

Day 12 - Colón, Panama Our progress... We sailed right past here yesterday, went to sea for the night then came back in the morning. At sea last night it felt like a storm was moving in. Winds of change were in the air. We've been very fortunate on this cruise during the rainy season since we've encountered very little rain. This morning that changed. We had rain, heavy at times. After it cleared a bit in the distance I could see the Atlantic Bridge. More ships at anchor waiting. The night before I received notice my excursion for Colón had been modified and I was given an option of a 20% discount or a refund. I was pretty tired from an active and long day running around the ship during our day transiting the Panama Canal so I decided to take the day to rest and I took the refund. I did leave to ship to see what the area was like near the terminal. I noted a few scars from the canal. In a couple days time these would be painted over. I took these pictures leaving the ship. Of course it started raining while I was off but the walk back to the ship outside in the rain was brief.

Recap starts here, so there will be some backtracking and I will possibly refer to stuff that I was able to post while onboard. 21 November - Arrival in Miami - transfer to Fort Lauderdale - overnight in the Best Western Plus Oceanside Inn on Seabreeze Boulevard. Our flight arrived on time in Miami. This was something of an achievement given not only that TAP have a less than stellar punctuality record but also that the flight actually took off 30 minutes late. About four or five other international flights had landed around the same time so the line for immigration was long. We were still a way away from the front when they started redirecting little batches of about five or six people to the agents who had been processing US citizens and were now more or less twiddling their thumbs. We were lucky to be included in one of the batches and even luckier to get the only bright and cheerful agent (the others all seemed very grim) who glanced at our passports, asked us if we were going on a cruise and waved us through. Yay! By this time the bags were all out on the carousel so we collected ours and headed out towards the doors. We had decided ahead of time to try and use either Lyft or Uber, assuming I would be able to connect to the airport WiFi, failing which we would just go to the Super Shuttle desk, since both of these options would be a lot cheaper than a taxi or a limo service. Luckily, after a few minutes trying to work out how to connect I was able to do so and we ordered a Lyft, which took a few minutes to come because although I had indicated that we were downstairs on the arrivals level the driver was looking for us upstairs. Anyway it worked and the total cost came in at just under $40 including tip. Score! We had a room booked for our two pre-cruise nights at the Best Western on Seabreeze, which we stayed at on our last visit to Fort Lauderdale. Our room was a standard room with two queen beds and a balcony. Since it was booked well in advance it came in at under $300 for the two nights. When I checked the pricing just a week before we travelled, it was up to $500! The rate at the BW includes breakfast and it is a pretty decent one too, with hot items, various breads and cold cuts, fresh fruit, make your own waffles, cereals and a fresh yogurt dispenser. I particularly liked the yogurt, very creamy and delicious. I didn't take pics of the hot items but they included things like scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, turkey sausage patties and pork sausage links. The included breakfast is one of the reasons we like this hotel, the others being the location (it's on the sun trolley route, a one-minute walk to the beach, a five-minute walk to the water taxi stop at the Bahia Mar and a ten-minute walk to shops and restaurants) price and the helpful staff. On this first evening we walked up to Bubba Gump for dinner, which may not sound very exciting but we don't have this chain in Portugal and we like the food and find the prices to be not over the top expensive. And then we were whacked so we had an early night as we were planning on riding the water taxi the next day.

A little late, but agree, LIKE A BOSS!!